At the southern end of Banks Peninsula, Birdlings Flat is a good little beach to stop at and explore, though the sand is super soft. Pick a path along the beach and then climb into the hills on Bossu Road, where easy gravel opens up to sweeping views over the coast and peninsula.

The road itself is gravel and not tricky, and the beach section has been graded. The main test is the first 250m or so of loose beach rock, where well-worn ruts can fool you into thinking there's hard ground beneath. Carry enough momentum to avoid bogging, since those ruts run up to 300mm deep. Larger tyres walk through it easily, while smaller setups need wheel speed and power. AWD station wagons should give the beach a miss due to ground clearance. The rest is low effort with big-reward scenery.

With plenty of other gravel roads around the peninsula, you can link Bossu Road onto other routes for a good day or two out, looping back via sealed roads that connect through. You only need to hit the beach patch on the way up or back.